This invention relates to method and means for relieving stress in the neck region of the body, and for promoting proper posture. More specifically, the invention relates to a composite head and neck cushion designed to be placed under the head and neck of a person lying in a supine position.
Viewed from the side, the human spine includes four basic portions, each of which has its own curvature. The uppermost or cervical portion is made up of the cervical vertebrae, and is concave posteriorly. The thoracic portion immediately below the cervical portion is made up of the thoracic vertebrae and is convex posteriorly. The lumbar portion is concave posteriorly and is made up of the lumbar vertebrae. The lowermost or sacral portion of the spine is fixed in position as a result of total fusion of the sacral vertebrae, and is concave posteriorly.
The degree and configuration of the curvature of any of these portions of the spine is interrelated with the curvature of the other portions, all of which are directly affected by pelvic position. The sum of these curves is, in essence, posture. Inheritance, disease, and habit are the three major factors influencing posture. Of these factors, habit is the most pronounced and has the most debilitative effect.
Habitual or prolonged unnatural body position can cause fatigue and strain upon ligaments, and increased muscular demand can cause pain and compensatory postural tension. Moreover, prolonged poor body posture can increase or decrease the range of motion of the vertebrae by stretching or tightening ligaments, thereby effecting muscle activity by accommodation or compensation. Tension, whether emotional, chemical, or physical, affects more often the neck than any other part of the neuromusculo-skeletal system. Tension myalgia of the neck is common, painful, and often disabling.
The neck muscles and ligaments bear the brunt of physical stress. The ligaments, of course, remain the sole support when the muscles are over-powered or fatigued. Ligament strain, where movement is restricted by muscles acting protectively, produces pain from muscle ischemia and from periosteal traction. Ligamentous laxity and aberrant muscle activity alter the integrity of the disc and vertebral segments which can produce degenerative changes. The compressive force of muscular contraction, in the presence of disc degeneration, can result in aberrant neuronal, vascular, and lymphatic alterations predisposing the vertebral joints to arthritic changes and articular insult.
Vertebrae function as motor units with each bony segment being directly dependent upon the integrity of the vertebrae and vertebral discs positioned above and below, as well as the integrity of all tissue which surrounds or offers attachment. Joint receptors of the neck apprise the nervous system of vertebral and head position. Vertebral malposition from ligamentous, muscular, discogenic, or vascular alterations can profoundly affect local and systematic integrity by creating compensatory postural stress.
Since approximately one-third of all human existence is spent in an antigravity position, it has long been the goal of bed and furniture designers to develop furniture for use in supine positions which will support the spine, and the neck vertebrae in particular, in a physiologic position. The term "physiologic" as used herein is intended to define that postural position wherein the parts of the body, particularly the vertebrae of the spine, are in their normal, comfortable, unstressed position, or a position which approximates that of an erect standing individual. Prior art efforts at achieving physiologic posture typically either result in a flattening of the spinal column, or in exaggerating the curvature, thereby resulting in flexion or extension of the vertebrae. The term "flexion" as used herein defines a position in which the head is positioned forwardly and anteriorly of its physiologic position. The term "extension" as used herein defines a position in which the head is positioned rearwardly or posteriorly of its physiologic position.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to develop a head and neck cushion which will support these portions of the body when the user is in a supine position and which will encourage physiologic spinal curvature without resulting in flexion or exaggerated extension of the cervical vertrebrae or of the occiput with respect to the atlas vertebra (C-1). Another object of the invention is to provide a neck pillow for supine use which approximates a physiologic posture in order to remodel the vertebral disc spaces. Yet another object of the invention is to provide a method and means for supporting the head and neck in such a way as to eliminate muscular and ligamentous stresses and thereby relieve aches and pains resulting therefrom.
This invention responds to the problems presented in the prior art by providing a method for cushioning the head and neck of a person in a supine position. The method comprises resiliently supporting the back of the neck of the person in an elevated position while permitting the cervical vertebrae to maintain their normal, physiologic curvature, and supporting the head of the person in an elevated position while maintaining the cervical vertebrae in an unflexed position. The invention may alternatively be defined as a support member for the head and neck of a person lying in a supine position. A first, transversely extending, resilient cushion having a convex upper surface is provided, along with a second, longitudinally extending, resilient cushion mounted to one side of the first cushion, the second cushion including means for supporting the back of the head of the person above the back of the person but below the upper surface of the first cushion, while maintaining the cervical vertebrae and the occiput in an unflexed, physiologic position.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, appended claims, and annexed drawings.